Growth management

The Region finalized the Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment (LNA) to determine the amount of land required to accommodate future population and employment growth to the year 2051 in accordance with the requirements of the Provincially mandated methodology. Further to the technical results of the LNA, additional analysis has been undertaken informed by stakeholder input and strategic policy directions. An overview of these matters and the impact on the technical results are outlined in a covering memo to the LNA.

Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment Report (report and appendices)

• Appendix I – Summary of ROPA Historical Forecasts
• Appendix II – Household Growth by Dwelling Type 1991-2021
• Appendix III – Employment Growth by Employment Type 1991-2021
• Appendix IV – Peel Growth Management Scenarios
• Appendix V – Climate Change Criteria to Evaluate Regional Growth Allocation, Intensification Targets, Greenfield Density Targets and Settlement Area Boundary Expansion (SABE)
• Appendix VI – Policy Areas and LNA Geographies
• Appendix VII – DGA Takeout Methodology
• Appendix VIII – Intensification Analysis 2051 Addendum
• Appendix IX – Strategic Growth Areas
• Appendix X – Employment Strategy Discussion Paper 2051 Addendum, February 2022
• Appendix XI – Vacant and Underutilized Land Inventory, February 2022
• Appendix XII – 2051 Municipal Growth Allocation of Population and Employment
• Appendix XIII – 2051 Land Budget Tables
• Appendix XIV – Employment Conversion Analysis, January 2022

In the Growth Plan, 2020, Regional municipalities have a strengthened role in protecting and planning for employment areas. The Employment Planning Implementation Report summarizes the employment planning policy context in Peel, trends and challenges in achieving employment/job growth, management of the existing and new greenfield employment land base, technical analysis prepared (including employment conversions), and the proposed employment-related policies and mapping in the Regional Official Plan.

The Employment Planning Implementation Report describes the March 2022 staff recommended employment planning policy framework in the new Region of Peel Official Plan. An addendum to the report reflects changes directed by Regional Council in the adopted April 2022 Region of Peel Official Plan.

Employment Planning Implementation Report, March 2022 and April 2022 Addendum

Other key employment-related documents can be accessed through appendices to the Land Needs Assessment Report, including the Employment Strategy Discussion Paper 2051 Addendum and the Vacant and Underutilized Land Inventory.

Updates on items related to the Growth Management focus area were provided to Regional Council and the Planning and Growth Management Committee (PGMC) throughout 2021. These reports and presentations are provided for reference below:

• February 18, 2021 – Growth Management Focus Area Update (Presentation to PGMC)
• April 22, 2021 – Regional Major Office Incentives Program (Report to Regional Council)
• April 29, 2021 – Land Needs Assessment and Intensification Analysis (Presentation to PGMC)
• June 17, 2021 – Land Needs Assessment Report Update (Report and Presentation to PGMC)
• October 7, 2021 – Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment Report (Report to PGMC)
• October 21, 2021 – Growth Management and MTSA Update and Map Book (Presentation to PGMC)
• February 3, 2022 – Peel 2051 Official Plan Review and Municipal Comprehensive Review Comment Response Summary and Next Steps (Staff Report to PGMC)

The Region of Peel is required to protect employment areas from sensitive land uses such as residential to ensure sufficient land is available to support forecasted growth and employment uses such as manufacturing, warehousing, and offices. Through a municipal comprehensive review, the Region may consider the conversion of employment lands to non-employment uses, subject to provincial and regional criteria.

The Region has received 59 requests for conversion through the MCR. The employment conversion requests were initially documented in the Region of Peel Preliminary Employment Conversion Analysis – May 2021. Additional requests were received as part of the fall 2021 Official Plan review statutory consultation. Staff supported 16 sites for removal from the Regional employment area. Information on the requests, staff responses, and detailed analysis is presented as follows:

• Region of Peel Employment Conversion Analysis Update
• Peel 2051 Official Plan Review and Municipal Comprehensive Review Comment Response Summary and Next Steps, February 3, 2022 (Staff Report to PGMC)
  • See Appendix III – Peel 2051 Staff Responses to Site Specific Comments Summary

Fall 2021

The Region completed a draft of the Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment to determine the amount of land required to accommodate future population and employment growth to the year 2051 in accordance with the requirements of the Provincially mandated methodology. The Land Needs Assessment informed elements of the Peel 2051 Municipal Comprehensive Review including:

• The amount of population and employment growth allocated to the local municipalities;
• The planned mix of housing units and employment types;
• Minimum rates of intensification;
• Minimum densities in designated greenfield areas and Strategic Growth Areas; and
• The need for settlement area boundary expansion.

The following information provides an overview of the findings of the Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment and included the draft Land Needs Assessment Report and supporting appendices:

Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment Report (report and appendices)

• Appendix I – Summary of ROPA Historical Forecasts
• Appendix II – Household Growth by Dwelling Type 1991-2021
• Appendix III – Employment Growth by Employment Type 1991-2021
• Appendix IV – Peel Growth Management Scenario’s
• Appendix V – Climate Change Criteria to Evaluate Regional Growth Allocation, Intensification Targets, Greenfield Density Targets and Settlement Area Boundary Expansion (SABE)
• Appendix VI – Policy Areas and LNA Geographies
• Appendix VII – DGA Takeout Methodology
• Appendix VIII – Intensification Analysis 2051 Addendum
• Appendix IX – Strategic Growth Areas
• Appendix X – Employment Strategy Discussion Paper 2051 Addendum
• Appendix XI – Vacant and Underutilized Land Inventory
• Appendix XII – 2051 Municipal Growth Allocation of Population and Employment
• Appendix XIII – 2051 Land Budget Tables

The completed draft of the Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment was presented to the Planning and Growth Management Committee on October 7, 2021. The materials presented at this meeting include:

• Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment Report
• Appendix I – Land Needs Assessment Report (technical report with appendices)
• Appendix II – Land Needs Assessment Policy Area Mapping
• Appendix III – Draft Employment Conversion Analysis Status Update
• Appendix IV – 2051 Scenario Community Planning Tables 

June 2021

On the June 17, 2021 Planning and Growth Management Committee agenda, a number of key technical components of the Growth Management focus area were presented in the Land Needs Assessment Report Update. The Land Needs Assessment Report Update provided information on a balanced approach to accommodate growth to 2051 and continued to demonstrate the need for settlement area boundary expansion to support a mix of housing options and employment types. Supporting technical studies include:

• Appendix I – Intensification Analysis: 2051 Addendum
• Appendix II – Region of Peel Vacant and Underutilized Employment Land Inventory
• Appendix III – Employment Strategy Discussion Paper: 2051 Addendum
• Appendix IV – Region of Peel Preliminary Employment Conversion Analysis

All other presentations and reports to the Planning and Growth Management Committee related to Peel 2051 can be found on the Official Plan Review Reading Room webpage.

August 2021

As part of an updated Peel 2051 draft Regional Official Plan, the in-effect office consolidation was updated to illustrate tracked changes for draft policies and mapping as of August 13, 2021. Growth Management and employment related policies can be found in Chapters 4 and 5 of the draft Regional Official Plan. Growth Management policy changes are also summarized at a high level for reference.

• High-Level Summary of Key Draft Policy Changes
• Draft Peel 2051 Regional Official Plan – August 13, 2021
• Key Growth Management Schedules and Figures
  • Schedule Z1 – Regional Structure (Formerly Schedule D)
  • Schedule Z2 – Strategic Growth Areas (New schedule being proposed)
  • Schedule Z3 – The Growth Plan Policy Areas in Peel (Formerly Schedule D4)
  • Schedule Y6 – Employment Areas (New schedule being proposed)
  • Figure Z1 – Population and employment growth in Peel Region (Formerly Figure 4)
  • Figure Z2 – Population age structure in Peel Region (Formerly Figure 7)
  • Figure Z3 – Home languages: Peel Region and Ontario (Formerly Figure 8)
  • Figure Z4 – Provincially Significant Employment Zones (New Figure being proposed)

Growth Management display boards July 2021

As part of open houses held in Summer 2021 for the overall Peel 2051 Municipal Comprehensive Review, display boards were prepared for each focus area, including Growth Management. These display boards provided an overview of the growth management policy framework, growth forecasts, and the supporting studies.

June 2020

As part of the June 25, 2020 Peel council report, 2041 Regional Official Plan Review update to Regional Council, a Growth Management Policy Directions Report was prepared. The Growth Management Policy Directions Report provided background information on policy issues and updates necessary to reflect the latest Provincial policy direction and conformity. The report provided background information and recommendations that informed the Regional Official Plan policies regarding regional on growth management and the allocation of population and employment growth across the Region

• Growth Management Policy Directions Report and Appendices
• Draft Growth Management Employment Policies in Proposed ROP Section 5.7 and 5.8

On February 27, 2020 an Employment Policies and Trends Overview Report was presented to Regional Council to provide an overview of the employment planning policy framework in Peel and trends that guided updated employment policies as a part of Peel 2041 (now referred to as Peel 2051). Regional Council also received an update on the new Growth Plan 2019, Provincially Significant Employment Zones (PSEZ) framework. The PSEZ are lands identified by the minister for the purpose of long-term employment land protection, job creation, and economic development.

On October 26, 2017, Regional Council directed staff to proceed to a statutory public meeting and open houses on the Growth Management draft Regional Official Plan Amendment (ROPA).

The scheduled Public Meeting was cancelled due to Provincial policy changes though previous consultation materials are also available for reference:

• Open house display boards
• Open house presentation

Based on the 2017 draft policies, the following table addresses all comments and formal submissions received from stakeholders and members of the public between January 2015 and December 2018:

• Growth Management and Transportation ROPA responses.

Many of these comments and responses were provided under an old Provincial planning and policy framework.

As part of the supporting information for the Draft Growth Management ROPA, the 2017 Region of Peel Employment Strategy Discussion Paper (and the Addendum for Planning to 2051)recommended implementation strategies to achieve employment targets. One strategy included investigating whether it would be feasible to incentivize major office employment development. On April 22, 2021, Regional Council approved a Regional Major Office Incentives Program to provide Tax Increment Equivalent Grants (TIEGs) to major office developments of approximately 1,858 square metres (20,000 square feet) and above, subject to eligibility criteria. The program details, project history, case studies, and financial implications are outlined on the Regional Major Office Incentives Program webpage and the April 22, 2021 report to Regional Council.

Thank you for your interest in learning more about Growth Management in the Region of Peel. Below, you will find several related topic areas and key fact summaries to help you navigate and learn more about this focus area.

• Peel 2051 Land Needs Assessment Report (for appendices for additional supporting documents)
• Cushman & Wakefield Employment Strategy Discussion Paper 2017 and the Draft Employment Strategy Discussion Paper – 2051 Addendum
• Intensification Analysis – July 2020 and the Draft Intensification Analysis: 2051 Addendum – June 2021
• Region of Peel Preliminary Employment Conversion Analysis – May 2021 and Draft Employment Conversion Analysis Status Update
• Region of Peel Vacant and Underutilized Employment Land Inventory – May 2021
• Draft Intensification Analysis: Strategic Market Demand Assessment – June 2020
• Growth Management Policy Directions Report – June 2020
• Growth Management Program
• Growth Management fact sheet